For seven years I’ve been collecting the best PC games every year that don’t need a graphics card, tracking down games for those of us with older computers or laptops. And I love doing it so much (and there are just so many freakin’ games out there) that I decided ten new games a year just isn’t enough. This is now a biannual feature — you’re welcome, five people who asked for it.
These games can run on a toaster, so long as that toaster runs Windows. They’re also great picks for a Steam Deck or pretty much any other handheld PC. Oh, and it sure doesn’t hurt that all of these games are under $20 at full price, and many come with demos. And would you look at that, this roundup just happens to be running at the same time as the Steam Summer Sale, which starts today.
Here are my picks, in no particular order. Want even more? Then check out the same article from 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
9 Kings
I’ve been addicted to 9 Kings for a few weeks. It’s nominally a base-builder, wherein you lay down buildings and units on a very small number of tiles and create an army from the result. But the randomized nature of your enemies, and the cards you get from them to power up your units and structures, feels a lot like carving out a run in Balatro.
The interplay of the buildings and tiles, and how the different ones you can collect from the different opponent kings, are crucial. Discovering all the beneficial combinations and creating your own strategy to maximize them is how you go from 10 damage in a “year” to 10 million, and the process makes this an incredibly satisfying, bite-sized strategy game.
9 Kings is in early access, currently $15 on Steam.
Pipstrello and the Cursed Yoyo
Y’all youngsters might not know this, but the Game Boy Advance might be the best 2D console of all time. And this game is a love letter to some of its best. Pipstrello and the Cursed Yoyo lloks like a colorful take on ye olde top-down Zelda, but where all the weapons and traversal powers revolve around the titular yoyo. But the colorful world and great tunes (provided by famed game composer Yoko Shimomura) make me think more of an old Cartoon Network production.
It can’t be overstated how hard this game goes on the yoyo schtick, showing off an incredible amount of charm and creativity. Real-time combat and puzzles will challenge your reflexes and timing, but there’s an interestingly sarcastic undertone to all of this that works well with the anthropic mafioso baddies. Completionists will have a fun time with the surprisingly broad and deep world, too.
Pipstrello and the Cursed Yoyo is $20 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
So to Speak
The phrase “edu-tainment” might make you cringe if you remember Mavis Beacon, but gamified language learning is about as good as it gets if you don’t have access to full immersion. Enter So to Speak, a puzzle game that teaches you the basics of Japanese vocabulary in an interface that makes Dulingo look positively pedestrian. It’s a big help if, like me, you’re helpless when it comes to kanji characters.
Progressing through the game will let you move from basic words to phrases and full sentences, with a focus on visitors and travel. But you’ll also get a nice taste of some Japanese culture if that’s what you’re looking for. The setup here is brilliant — well, at least I think so — and I’m excited to see if the developer can expand it into other languages.
So to Speak is $18 on Steam.
The Roottrees are Dead
Who would have guessed that clerical games would be a thing after the success of Papers Please? In The Roottrees are Dead, you’re an investigator trying to piece together the aftermath of a small plane crash that took out a family of billionaires. Using a mountain of evidence and exploring a fictional, late-90s version of the internet, you’ll discover the dark secrets hiding just beneath the veneer of wealth and power.
This is an incredibly unique setup, a sort of genealogical whodunnit that will tickle the drama fancies of anyone who’s ever gasped at a soap opera parentage reveal. Originally released as a free browser game, this full version gets remastered visuals and audios, plus full voice acting when you discover relevant tapes and other evidence, plus some bonus mysteries.
The Roottrees are Dead is $20 on Steam.
Cast N Chill
I don’t think I’ve ever seen pixel art this gorgeous…and I say that as someone who’s so freakin’ tired of pixel art as shorhthand for indie. Cast N Chill does what it says on the box, offering an intriguing mix of basic 2D fishing that wouldn’t be out of place on the NES with some incredible atmosphere. If you have no actual interest in fishing, you might not get a lot out of the mechanics, unless the upgrade grind gets its hooks into you. No, I’m not apologizing for that pun.
You can catch and document 50 different kinds of fish, 13 of which are legendary. But I suspect a certain kind of player will miss a lot of them, just watching the designated boat dog.
Cast N Chill is $15 on Steam.
Wizordum
Magical DOOM. That’s it, that’s the game. While Wizordum isn’t the first game to adapt fast first-person shooter mechanics to slinging spells instead of blasting bullets, it’s benefiting from a lot of recent work in the boomer shooter niche. 2.5D graphics mean a lot of pixel art on display, even as goblins and skeletons are wizzing past your head at about 40 miles an hour. I’m digging the epic fantasy tunes, too.
This is very much a single-player affair, but speedrunners can post their times to an online leaderboard. The real lasting impact of the game might be its built-in level editor, which lets you make and share challenges in a very Minecraft sort of way. I bet it’ll appeal to you if you’re tired of rolling for initiative and just want to blast some baddies.
Wizordum is $20 on Steam.
Glass Cannon
A “glass cannon” is a term for someone or something that can dish out a lot of damage, but not take much in return. This little physics puzzler takes things a little more literally. It’s a mix of puzzle and action with a physics-based setup and a roguelike progression system. And if that sounds too technical, just go by this: shoot all the bad guys (or bad shapes) with as few bullets as possible.
Carefully choosing your angle to take advantage of bounces and maximizing your upgrades for damage and spread are the keys to victory. The randomized levels and relatively low variety of enemies might seem limiting at first, but it’s the combination of upgrades that’ll keep you coming back for an optimal run.
Glass Cannon is $5 on Steam.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center
Imagine if Control came out in the 80s and was more interested in Japanese horror than online copypasta, and you’ve got Urban Myth Dissolution Center. You play a psychic ghostbuster in training who’s part of the titular organization, tracking down clues to solve spooky cases and interacting with a rich collection of characters.
This one’s definitely on the creepy side of things, with a direct appeal to fans of both retro games and anime. Fans of Doki Doki Literature Club might feel right at home with all the hidden intrigue and deep characterization, but if you can’t handle the psychedelic pixel art cinematics, I couldn’t blame you.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is $18 on Steam. It’s also available on PlayStation and Switch.
Chronicles of the Wolf
Do you like the mechanics of Castlevania, but you’re more of a Team Jacob sorta gamer? Then Chronicles of the Wolf is what you’ve been waiting for. This side-scrolling action game is set on the backdrop of the legendary (and at least nominally real) Beast of Gévaudan attacks in 18th-century France. Oh, and just in case the fact that a wolf hunter is running around a medieval castle instead of the woods didn’t clue you in, there’s a few cameos from some famous players in the genre, too.
The whole game is shamelessly riffing on Symphony of the Night, and that’s not at all a bad thing. There’s a bit more polish in play than you might expect from the setup, with some gorgeous art and voice-over as well as some tunes that’ll make you wonder where you left your PS1 memory card.
Chronicles of the Wolf is $20 on Steam. It’s also available on PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox.
Desktop Survivors 98
Okay, I know some of you weirdos are gonna be into this one. Vampire Survivors has inspired a whole demonic hoard of similar “walk around, avoid attacks, upgrade your stuff” games, but I bet you’ve never seen it play out with the infamous Clippy as a main character. The game mechanics are familiar, but the visuals — a certain blissful green hill and a lot of grey windows — are even more so.
But don’t think this game is nothing but a nostalgia play (though it certainly is). Little hooks into other “programs” from ye olde Windows will add in goofy game elements you’re not expecting. If you’ve ever lost hours to customizing your Windows theme, you’ll find something to love here.
Desktop Survivors 98 is $5 on Steam.